Homepage access method, product, and apparatus

• US RE42,665 E1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: S Aqua Semiconductor LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: ESDR Network Solutions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Schneider, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHRISTENSEN, SCOTT B
• Application Number:
  US12/109,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 709/245, 709/246, 455/2.01, 455/186.1, 701/208, 456/456.2
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/325 whereby a time schedule is established for servicing the requests

Abstract

A device, network access apparatus executes any program such as a servlet, applet, script, or web browser. When a user logs in or when the user executes a program or in response to a user login, the system date/time may be determined. A URI corresponding to the system date/time may be retrieved from at least one data record of a database. The retrieved URI may then be accessed/resolved. In addition, the determination of the system date/time may be configured in response to any kind of login such as a network or web based login for the purpose of retrieving a URI as a starting page.

Claims

1. A homepage access method comprising:

generating a request to automatically select and access a homepage in response to launching a web browser having homepage selection information;

retrieving said homepage selection information from said web browser and a current time of said request, said homepage selection information including at least one resource identifier corresponding to at least one of a time and time range; and

,

selecting and accessing the homepage from a server located remote from said at least one resource identifier corresponding to said at least one of a time and time range upon or after determining that said current time of said request corresponds to said one of a selected time and time range.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said web browser is launched by at least one of a user, calendar program, and user login request, and wherein said current time of said request is a current local time of said user.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one resource identifier corresponding to said at least one of a time and time range is scheduled in a calendar program capable of updating said homepage selection information of said web browser.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said accessing the homepage further includes locating one or more network resources from said at least one resource identifier.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said homepage selection information is retrieved from one of a list, data file, database, calendar, scheduler, user modifiable configuration settings, browser preferences, starting page preferences, and configuration preferences.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said determining said current time of said request includes determining a current system date/time of at least one of said user and said request.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further including contemporaneously accessing one or more homepages from each resource identifier of said at least one resource identifier.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said contemporaneously accessing said one or more homepages includes presenting each said accessed homepage across one or more display windows.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one resource identifier is at least one Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

10. A homepage access method comprising:

a user executing a client program, said client program including user homepage configuration information, said user homepage configuration information including a predetermined time range corresponding to at least one resource identifier,

determining that said current time of said user is within said predetermined time range corresponding to said at least one resource identifier in response to said user executing said client program; and

,

accessing the homepage with said client program from based on said at least one resource identifier.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said client program is one of a web browser, user login request, and calendar program.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 10, further including said user scheduling said at least one resource identifier to correspond to said predetermined time range.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said accessing the homepage further includes locating a network resource from said at least one resource identifier.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said at least one resource identifier is at least one Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

15. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said homepage configuration information is retrieved from at least one of a list, data file, database, calendar, scheduler, user modifiable configuration settings, browser preferences, starting page preferences, and configuration preferences.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said determining said current time of said user when said program is executed includes determining a current system date/time in response to executing said program.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 10, further including contemporaneously accessing the homepage from each resource identifier from of said at least one resource identifier.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 17, wherein said contemporaneously accessing the homepage includes displaying a separate display window for each said accessed homepage.

19. A homepage access method comprising:

receiving a request to access a user homepage;

retrieving user homepage selection information including a plurality of resource identifiers, wherein each said resource identifier corresponds to a separate homepage;

contemporaneously accessing a plurality of homepages from said plurality of resource identifiers; and

,

presenting each said accessed homepage in its own display window.

20. The method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein said request is executed by at least one program.

21. The method, as set forth in claim 20, wherein said at least one program includes at least one of a web browser, calendar, user login, script, servlet, and applet.

22. The method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein said homepage selection information is retrieved from one of a list, data file, database, calendar, scheduler, user modifiable configuration settings, browser preferences, starting page preferences, and configuration preferences.

23. The method, as set forth in claim 22, wherein said starting page preferences include resource identifiers last visited by said user and said plurality of predetermined resource identifiers are accessed from said user last visited resource identifiers stored in said starting page preferences.

24. An article of manufacturing including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

generating a request to automatically select and access at least one homepage in response to launching a client program having homepage selection information;

retrieving the homepage selection information from the client program and a current time of the request, the homepage selection information including at least one resource identifier corresponding to at least one of a time or time range; and

selecting and accessing the at least one homepage using the at least one resource identifier in response to determining that the current time of the request corresponds to the at least one of a time or time range corresponding to the at least one resource identifier.

25. The article of manufacturing including a computer-readable medium, as set forth in claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise launching the client program in response to at least one of a user input, a calendar program, or a login request, and wherein the current time of the request is a current local time of the computing device.

26. The article of manufacturing including a computer-readable medium, as set forth in claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise scheduling the at least one resource identifier corresponding to the at least one of a time or time range in a calendar program, adapted to update the homepage selection information of the client program.

27. The article of manufacturing including a computer-readable medium, as set forth in claim 24, wherein accessing the homepage further includes locating one or more network resources from the at least one resource identifier.

28. The article of manufacturing including a computer-readable medium, as set forth in claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving the homepage selection information from one of a list, data file, database, calendar, scheduler, modifiable configuration settings, browser preferences, starting page preferences, or configuration preferences.

29. The article of manufacturing including a computer-readable medium, as set forth in claim 24, wherein determining the current time of the request includes determining a current system date/time of at least one of the computing device or the request.

30. The article of manufacturing including a computer-readable medium, as set forth in claim 24, wherein accessing the at least one homepage using the at least one resource identifier further comprises accessing at least one homepage from at least two resource identifiers of the at least one resource identifier.

31. The article of manufacturing including a computer-readable medium, as set forth in claim 30, wherein accessing at least one homepage from at least two resource identifiers of the at least one resource identifier further comprises presenting accessed homepages in at least one display window.

32. The article of manufacturing including a computer-readable medium, as set forth in claim 24, wherein the at least one resource identifier is at least one Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

33. An apparatus comprising:

at least one of an input device or output device;

a memory containing information records, the information records including homepage configuration information, the homepage configuration information including a predetermined time range corresponding to at least one resource identifier;

a processor device operatively connected to the at least one of an input device or output device and the memory, the processor device adapted to;

determine that the current time is within the predetermined time range corresponding to the at least one resource identifier in response to an execution of a request by a program; and

select and access at least one resource associated with the at least one resource identifier with the program using the at least one resource identifier.

34. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the program is at least one of a web browser, a login request, or a calendar program.

35. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 33, further comprising the processor device being adapted to receive a schedule of the at least one resource identifier corresponding to the predetermined time range.

36. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the processor device is configured to access the resource by locating a network resource based on the at least one resource identifier.

37. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the at least one resource identifier is at least one Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

38. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the memory is configured to store the homepage configuration information in at least one of a list, data file, database, calendar, scheduler, modifiable configuration settings, browser preferences, starting page preferences, or configuration preferences.

39. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the program is adapted to determine a current system date/time.

40. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the processor device is adapted to access the resource corresponding to at least two of the at least one resource identifiers.

41. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 40, wherein the processor device is adapted to display a display window for accessed resources.

42. An apparatus comprising:

an input component configured to receive a user request to access at least one homepage;

a memory configured to store homepage configuration information comprising a database containing a plurality of resource identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of resource identifiers correspond to one of a plurality of homepages including the at least one homepage;

a network interface; and

a processor device configured to;

determine at least one of a current system date or time;

in response to the received user request, retrieve at least one of the plurality of resource identifiers stored in the memory based on at least one of the determined system date or time;

provide to the network adapter the at least one retrieved resource identifier,

wherein the network interface is configured to access and provide to the processor at least one homepage corresponding to each of the at least one retrieved resource identifier in response to the received resource identifier;

provide to a display device in communication with the processor device the at least one accessed homepage.

43. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 42, wherein the processor device is configured to execute at least one of a web browser, calendar, login, script, servlet, or applet.

44. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 42, wherein the memory is configured to store the homepage configuration information in at least one of a list, data file, database, calendar, scheduler, modifiable configuration settings, browser preferences, starting page preferences, or configuration preferences.

45. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 44, wherein the starting page preferences include last visited resource identifiers and the network interface is configured to access at least one of the plurality of homepages from the last visited resource identifiers stored in the starting page preferences.

46. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a user request to access at least one homepage;

determining at least one of a current system date or time;

in response to the received user request, retrieving from a memory of the computing device at least one of a plurality of resource identifiers based on at least one of the determined current system date or time,

wherein each of the plurality of resource identifiers corresponds to one of a plurality of homepages including the at least one homepage, and

wherein the plurality of resource identifiers are stored in the memory;

providing to a network interface the at least one retrieved resource identifier,

wherein the network interface accesses and provides at least one homepage corresponding to each of the at least one retrieved resource identifier in response to the received resource identifier; and

providing the at least one accessed homepage to a display device.

47. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein the at least one resource identifier is at least one Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

48. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, further comprising retrieving the homepage configuration information from at least one of a list, data file, database, calendar, scheduler, modifiable configuration settings, browser preferences, starting page preferences, or configuration preferences.

49. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein providing the at least one homepage comprises displaying a separate display window for the accessed homepages.

50. A homepage access method comprising:

at a computing device;

receiving a user request to access at least one homepage;

determining at least one of a current system date or time;

in response to the received user request, retrieve from a memory of the computing device at least one of a plurality of resource identifiers based on at least one of the determined current system date or time,

wherein the plurality of resource identifiers correspond to one of a plurality of homepages including the at least one homepage, and

wherein the plurality of resource identifiers are stored in the memory;

providing to a network interface of the computing device the at least one retrieved resource identifier, wherein the network interface accesses and provides at least one homepage corresponding to each of the at least one retrieved resource identifier in response to the received resource identifier; and

providing the at least one accessed homepage to a display device.

51. The method, as set forth in claim 50, further comprising launching a web browser in response to at least one of a user input, a calendar program, or a login request, and wherein the at least one of the current system date or time is a current local time of the computing device.

52. The method, as set forth in claim 50, further comprising scheduling the at least one resource identifier corresponding to the at least one of the current system date or time in a calendar program capable of updating homepage selection information of a web browser.

53. The method, as set forth in claim 52, further comprising retrieving the homepage selection information from at least one of a list, data file, database, calendar, scheduler, modifiable configuration settings, browser preferences, starting page preferences, or configuration preferences.

54. The method, as set forth in claim 50, wherein providing the at least one accessed homepage comprises presenting the accessed homepages across one or more display windows.

55. A homepage access method comprising:

a computing device executing a client program, the client program including homepage configuration information, the homepage configuration information comprising a database including at least one resource identifier and at least one predetermined time range corresponding to the at least one resource identifier;

determining at least one of a current system date or time;

determining that the determined current system date or time is within the at least one predetermined time range corresponding to the at least one resource identifier in response to the computing device executing the client program; and

the computing device accessing via a network interface at least one homepage with the client program based on the at least one resource identifier in response to determining that the determined current system date or time is within the predetermined time range corresponding to the at least one resource identifier; and

the computing device providing the at least one homepage to a display device.

56. The method, as set forth in claim 55, wherein executing the client program comprises executing at least one of a web browser, a login request, or a calendar program.

57. The method, as set forth in claim 55, further comprising scheduling the at least one resource identifier to correspond to the predetermined time range.

58. The method, as set forth in claim 55, wherein accessing the homepage further comprises locating a network resource using the at least one resource identifier.

59. The method, as set forth in claim 55, wherein the at least one resource identifier is at least one Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

60. The method, as set forth in claim 55, further comprising retrieving the homepage configuration information from at least one of a list, data file, database, calendar, scheduler, modifiable configuration settings, browser preferences, starting page preferences, or configuration preferences.

61. The method, as set forth in claim 55, wherein determining that the current time is within the predetermined time range corresponding to the at least one resource identifier includes determining a current system local time in response to the computing device executing the client program.

62. The method, as set forth in claim 55, further including accessing the homepage from at least two resource identifiers of the at least one resource identifier.

63. The method, as set forth in claim 62, wherein accessing the homepage from the at least two resource identifiers of the at least one resource identifier comprises displaying a separate display window for the accessed homepages.